It's time for the Hendrick Hudson School District's community to unify and heal

Regarding "HenHud teachers see a perilous future for our schools. Why doesn't our board of education?," lohud.com, May 8:

In January of this year, disgruntled by the board of education's move to amend the Princeton Plan, James Rogulski, the head of Hendrick Hudson Education Association teachers’ union, engaged nine community members and assisted in the filing of a legal petition with the Commissioner of Education to stop what he called “foolishness.” This action has cost, and will continue costing, the district substantial legal fees to defend and diverts funds away from our children’s education.

Through a freedom of information request, I was able to obtain not only the petition, but the legal expenses the district incurred thus far to defend it. In the months January and February, the district has spent $13,168 defending a claim that the head of the union admits in an op-ed piece is a “slim shot.” It is, therefore, ironic that he decries wasteful district spending in the same piece.

The petition filed is a civil rights claim, and unrelated to any of the concerns expressed by Rogulski in his op-ed. Further, This is a case that appears to be better suited for the Office of Civil Rights than the commissioner. Having said that, I suspect the complainants have been well advised by their council that the case would have no legs with the OCR. Title VI specifically states:

“Although school districts must ensure that students are not assigned on the basis of race, color, or national origin, the law does not require that each school within a district have a racially balanced student population.”

It is the petitioners rather than the district who are seeking to violate Title VI, by coercing the district to move children around by race in the name of equal distribution.

With regards to Rogulski’s claims on the merits of policy 5110 adoption — Plan B — the decision was made in careful consideration of a vast amount of community feedback and data. It enabled our youngest learners to spend more than two years at one school, and it eased the burden of many families, who provided extensive feedback that having multiple children across the three elementary schools was burdensome. Furthermore, remaining in Princeton Plan posed ever-increasing, unsustainable bussing costs in terms of replacement, repairs and fuel. It was also a drain on the town’s infrastructure due to wear and tear on our roads and was environmentally unsound. In essence, the board of education listened carefully to the needs of the community and made their decision accordingly. This decision was essentially a compromise and was more fiscally sound considering the transportation component.

Above all, the plan enables the district to offer, for the very first time, a Universal Pre-K program for all, making access to early childhood education free and available to every family in the district, unlimited by the inequitable lottery system that left a lot of families behind. Had we stayed in our current grade banding model of the Princeton Plan, the district would not have the space to offer this very valuable program. Such a program has been a boon to other districts and is key in attracting new families into ours. Declining enrollment has plagued our district for more than a decade — we could use the boost in student count that attracting new families would bring. More students will translate into more state dollars coming into the district.

The new plan offers a solution to a community divided over the grade banding versus neighborhood school debate. Part neighborhood school, part grade banding, this plan is intended to bridge the divide and, above all, afford future learners a stable environment with fewer transitions where they can learn and grow.

At the end of the day, the community must be able to come to a consensus and heal. It is vital that we do so not only for the health of our district, but for our children’s education, which has taken a back seat to egos and agendas for far too long.

Alea Vorillas is a parent in the Hendrick Hudson School District.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Hendrick Hudson School District community must unify and heal